Safety razor



Jan. 1,0, 1939.

A. A. MARTIN SAFETY RAZOR Filed Oct. 12, 1935 4 Sheets-Shet l A. A. MARTIN Jan. 1o, 1939.

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Oct. l2, 1955 A. A. MARTIN SAFETY RAZOR Jam.` 10V, 1939.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. l2, 1935 /f if gaaf .//h/WV//,////////I A. A. MARTIN SAFETY RAZOR Jan. i0, 1939.

Filed oct. 12, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Jan. 10,1939

UITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to safety razors of that type, sometimes referred to as the one-piece" type, in which the insertion or removal of a blade is accomplished without requiring the separation of the blade holder into disconnected parts, thereby avoiding the inconvenience involved in assembling and disassembling such parts and the consequent liability of injury to them by dropping them. This type of construction is particularly advantageous in the case of razors using flexible, double-edged blades, and has heretofore been embodied in such razors by employing a blade-clamping cap made in two parts which are hinged respectively to the outer edges of the lade holder and are adapted to swing inward and meet at their free edges over the center of the biade, whereby the latter is flexed and clamped to its support.

In razors so constructed, however, the blade when released by opening the cap sections is free to drop out of the holder' and is not-readily cleaned after use unless it is first removed therefrom, and one of the objects of my invention is to provide blade-cl-amping means so constructed that the blade when unclarnp'ed is retained in the holder in a suitable position for cleaning it, without danger of dropping out or having its cutting edge dulled by cont-act with any other part. In this way the one-piece idea is extended to include the blade itself, with the result that the necessary handling of the blade is minimized and the danger of dropping and dulling it is correspondingly reduced,

Another object of my invention is to provide a form of blade support which will cooperate most effectively with the blade-clamping means in making the blade accessible for thorough cleaning after use and while still retained in the holder.

Broadly considered, my invention is characterized by the employment of a blade clamp which is pivotally connected to the blade-supporting portion of the holder and is utilized to clamp a blade therein by first passing it Ythrough an internal aperture in the blade and then swinging it into clamping position. When the blade is unclamped after use the clamp serves to retain it securely in the holder while being cleaned or until it is purposely removed, it being merely necessary to re-clamp itin order to make it ready for the next shave.

iie blade-clamping means above referred to are applicable to razors having either rigid or flexible blades, and in the latter case they may be so constructed as to ilex the blade and permit,

the exposure of its cutting edge to be adjusted by varying the extent to which it is flexed, as is customary in razors using such blades. Provided the blade has an internal aperture suitable for cooperating with the blade-clamping parts in the manner above described, its contour in other respects is immaterial to my invention, and it may have one or more cutting edges, but for purposes of illustration of my improvements I have selected two embodiments designed for use with double-edged flexible blades in which a slot extends lengthwise of the blade along its central portion and serves as the aperture above referred to. The details of these two embodiments as preferably constructed are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of razor, with a blade clamped therein;

Figure 2 is a similar View, showing the parts as they appear when the blade is unclamped;

Figure 3 is mainly a transverse section on the line 3 3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is mainly a longitudinal section on the line 4 4 in Figures 1 and 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views, respectively, oi two members by means of which the blade clamps hereinafter described are supported and operated;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a blade, detached from the holder;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing another form of razor;

Figure 9 is a perspective view thereof, with the blade unclamped;

Figure 10 is a transverse section on the line Ill-I0 in Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a transverse section on the line II--ll in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a longitudinal section on the line I2-l2 in Figure 8;

Figure 13 is a side elevation of an operating member hereinafter described;

Figure 14 is a detail view showing a clamping plate and a supporting fulcrum therefor;

Figure 15 is -a plan View of a detached blade which is suitable for use in the holder illustrated in Figures 8 to 14; and

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a modication.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, the razor therein illustrated comprises a hollow handle portion 2, a transversely-extending head 3 centrally secured to one end of the handle portion 2 and provided on each of its longitudinal edges with a series of outwardly projecting teeth collectively forming a guard, and a flexible blade 5, shown separately in Figure 7, which is provided with a central longitudinal slot Ii and is sharpened on each of its longitudinal edges l. The blade when combined with the holder is supported by the head 3, which may be given any desired contour suitable for ilexing the blade, but preferably, and in accordance with one of the features of my invention, the teeth 4 are so shaped that their free ends 8 are located behind the corresponding cutting edge of the blade and above those portions of the teeth which extend outward from the blade edges and serve as the guards, so that the inner ends of each Series of teeth provide, collectively, a fulcrum over which the blade is flexed in the process of clamping it in place. The ends of the teeth serve also to support the blade, when unclamped, in a position in which not only its edge portions but also its central portion are elevated above the head 3 suiiciently to enable a stream of water to reach the entire under side of the blade as well as its upper' side when directed against its edges, the spaces between the guard teeth serving as channels through which the stream of water can pass into' the openspace between the head 2 and the central portion of the blade. This arrangement makes it possible to rinse the blade thoroughly while securely retained in the holder as hereinafter explained, and in order to facilitate the rinsing process still further I prefer to make the central portion of the head 3 much shorter than its side edges on which the guard teeth are formed, as shown in Figure 4.

The clamping of the blade upon its support is accomplished by means of a mechanism comprising a pair of flat plates 9 extending lengthwise side by side above the head 3, and each pivotally connected to members I' and EI on axes which are parallel with and adjacent to the inner edge of the plate, so that a relative movement of these members lengthwise of the handle results in swinging the plates 9 on the pivotal axes on which they are mounted. In the construction illustrated, the member I!) for each plate 9 consists of a supporting arm pivoted at its upper end to a lug l2 on the under side of the plate and extending downward therefrom into the handle, where its lower end merges into an internal sleeve I3 pinned to the handle portion 2. The member il is an operating member for both of the plates 9, to which it is pivotally connected at its forked upper end, best shown in Figure 5, by providing each branch of the fork with wings il?, which are passed through slots I5 in the corresponding plates 9 and then folded together above the plates, t'hus forming bearings in which the inner edge portions of the plates can turn loosely. Below its forked upper end the operating member il is mounted to slide longitudinally in the handle portion 2 and sleeve I3 and thereby cause both of the plates to swing simultaneously and equally on the pivots which connect them to the upper ends of the supporting members lei, the latter members being made sufciently flexible and springy to enable their upper ends to move slightly away from each other and thus permit the innerI edges of the plates 9 to pass between them.

The operating member I I may be moved lengthu wise or" the handle by any suitable means, such for example as a nut IS rotatably mounted in the lower end of a sleeve Il which surrounds and is rigidly secured to the lower part of the hanolle portion 2, the nut I6 being provided with a pin I8 entering a spiral groove I9 cut in the lower portion of the member II, and with a circumferential groove 20 into which the lower end of the sleeve is spun after the parts have been assembled, thereby holding the nut in place.

As thus constructed, the operation of the parts above described is as follows:

By rotating the nut i5 in one direction the pin IB, acting as a cam in the spiral groove 2li, is caused to draw the member il downward within the handle, thereby causing the plates d to turn on their supporting pivots until they are brought into contact with each other in a vertical position, as shown in Figure 2. While in this position they are passed through the central slot E in the blade 5, the slot being laterally enlarged as at 2I to permit the upper ends of the supporting members iii to pass through it. The blade is then placed upon the supports formed by the inner ends of the guard teeth 4, where it is positioned for clamping by stops 22 formed on the end teeth of the guards and cooperating with corner notches 23 in the blade 5. After the blade has been thus positioned, rotation of the nut I6 in the opposite direction results in forcing the operating member l I upward, thereby swinging the plates 9 downward until they make Contact with the outer portions of the blade, whereupon a further rotation of the nut fleXes the blade and clamps it securely upon the guard teeth. In order that the final clamping movement of the plates may be eiected without increasing the force applied to the nut I6, I prefer to make the pitch of the upper part of the groove 2) less Steep than at its lower part, as shown in Figure 3.

In unclamping the blade the movements above described are reversed in order, and after the plates 9 have been brought together in vertical position they are still surrounded by the blade. If then spread apart by turning the nut Vi until they bind in the slot 5 they not only make it impossible for the blade to fall out of the holder, but also hold securely in position for cleaning while lying flat on the supporting guard teeth, so that it is necessary to remove the blade only when it is desired to replace it by another.

Figures 8 to l5 inclusive illustrate an adaptation of my invention for use in connection with blades now on the market in which a narrow central slot is utilized for positioning the blades in holders of existing types. blades is the blade 245, shown separately in Figure 15, which has external corner notches 25, an internal slot 26 extending lengthwise of the central portion of the blade, and enlargements 2, 23, 2g and 3] extending laterally in opposite directions from the slot Z5 and having various shapes, all of these enlargements being symmetrically arranged with respect to each other on opposite sides of the slot.

As constructed for use with a blade having the contour illustrated in Figure l5, the blade holder may include a handle portion 3l, substantially like the part 2 previously described, a head 32 centrally secured to one end of the handle portion and having a transversely-curved top surface on which the blade is supported and flexed when clamped, and a guard consisting of a series of teeth 33 on each longitudinal edge of the head 32. If desired, the end teeth may be provided with upwardly-projecting stops 34 adapted to enter the corner notches 25 and position the blade as previously explained, but these stops are not essential for that purpose, as will presently appear.

The blade-clamping mechanism in this form An example of such vtu of holder comprises a pair of pivotally-supported flat plates 35, similar to the plates 3 already described, and a thin flat plate 36 which is movable upward and downward between the plates 35. When these plates are in their uppermost position they are in lateral contact with one another, and their length and combined thickness are such that they can pass through the slot 26 in the blade 24 when the latter is placed in the holder or removed therefrom. The plate 36 has a central portion 3l extending downward into the handle, where its lower end is held by pins 38 in a central slot formed in a rod 39 which slides lengthwise in the handle portion 3|, carrying the plate 33 with it. In the upper portion of the rod 33 the slot which receives the lower end of the plate 35 is laterally enlarged to provide spaces it which receive the clamp plates 35 when the plate 33 is moved upward, thereby enabling the upper end of the rod 39 to be utilized to hold the plates 35 and 36 in mutual contact as above described.

IIhe plates 35 are pivotally supported by providing each plate at the ends of its inner edge with pintles 4I, Figure 14, which are mounted in bearings formed in lugs 42 secured to the head 32 near its ends and extending upward thereirom. These lugs are so located and proportioned as to pass through the end enlargements 2l in the blade 24 when the latter is placed in the holder, and may be used for positioning the cutting edges of the blade with respect to the guards. For convenience in assembling these parts, the bearings for the pintles 4I are made in the form of notches. 43, Figure 9, extending outwardly from the inner edges of the lugs 42, so that the pintles on each plate 35 can be inserted laterally into their notches before the plate 36 is put in place between them. When so mounted, the plates 35 are not positively connected to any operating part but are capable of swinging freely upward and downward except as their movements are controlled in and near their extreme positions as will now be explained.

As shown in Figure 10, the forked upper ends of the rod 33 are beveled inwardly and downwardly, so that when the rod and the plate 33 which it carries are moved upward the beveled ends engage the under sides of the plates 35 and act as cams to lift them into the upright position shown in Figure 9, in which the rod 39 is shown in its uppermost position with the plates 35 located in the spaces 43. During this movement the rod passes through the central enlargement 33 in the blade 24, being given suitable dimensions for this purpose. At its upper edge the central plate 35 is provided at two points with lateral. projections 44 so proportioned and located as to enable them to pass through the enlargements 2Q in the blade 24 and having cam surfaces 35 on their lower portions which act to spread the upper edges of the plates 35 apart after the upper end of the rod 39 has moved downward far enough to release the plates from r restraint, whereupon the plates 35 fall outward and downward until arrested by the head 32 or a blade resting upon it. The plate 35 is also provided at its upper edge with additional lateral projections 53 and d?, of which the outermost projections 45 are so proportioned and located as to enable them to pass through the enlargements 23 in the blade, while the central projections il are so proportioned as to pass through the central enlargement 33 in the blade. The function of the projections 46 and 41 is to exert pressure on the plates 35 after the latter have swung downward into contact with the blade, and in order to enable them to act effectively in the final clamping position, in which the blade is ilexed on the head 32, the outer portions of these projections are bent downward somewhat, so that they can continue to exert pressure on the plates 35 until the blade is tightly clamped.

The upward and downward movements of the rod 39 and the attached plate 35 may be produced by means of the parts employed for the same purpose in connection with the operating member H hereinbefore described, namely, the nut IE held in place by the external sleeve Il and carrying a pin I3 which enters a spiral groove i9 in the lower portion of the rod 39.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 9 a blade having the internal and external contour shown in Figure can be passed over the upper edge of the plate 35 and then moved downward until its central slot 26 embraces the plates 35 and the lugs 42 are received within the end enlargements 21, thus locating the blade in position to be clamped upcn the head 32. Rotation of the nut I3 in the proper direction will then draw the plate 36 downward, thereby moving the upper end of the rod 39 below the plates 35 and causing the plates 35 to fall outward into contact with the blade,

, and finally bringing the projections 45 and 41 into engagement with the plates 35 and forcing them downward suflioiently to flex the blade and clamp it in position for use, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. The blade is unclamped by rotating the nut I6 in the opposite direction, whereby the movements of the blade-clamping parts are re-' versed in order, and after the plates 35 reach their uppermost position the blade can be removed if desired, but if the parts are left in an intermediate position in which the plates 35 can swing outward it becomes impossible for the blade to fall out of the holder, which can then be held in any position suitable for cleaning the blade. If desired, the blade can be lifted above the lugs 42 and so held by spreading the plates 35 until they bind in the slot 23, thereby securely holding the blade in an elevated position in which it is accessible on both sides for cleaning purposes.

Two supplementary features which I prefer to embody in this form of holder are shown in detail in Figures 13 and 1 4. According to one of these features, the outer ends of the upper part of the plate 36 are extended downward to form guides 43 which pass through slots 49 in the ends of the head 32 and project below the under side of the head when the blade is clamped in position for use. These guides serve the useful purpose of providing thumb or nger rests for steadying the razor while shaving, and they also serve to hold the pintles 4l of the plates 35 in their bearings after the plate 33 has been inserted between them.

The other feature above referred to resides in the provision of supporting plates 53 located beneath each of the plates 35 and serving as supplementary fulcrums therefor, whereby the pintles il are relieved from excessive strain during the final clamping operation. Each of these supporting plates 53 preferably has a central, downwardly-extending portion 5i of such length as to enter the corresponding open space 40 in the upper portion of the rod 39, and rests on the bottom of a longitudinal groove 52 cut in the upper part of the head 32, where it is conned laterally by a wall or groove on one side and by the plate 36 and its guides d8 on the other side. It is also conned vertically by the bottom of the groove and the plate 35 above it, and in an endwise direction by the ends of the groove, so that it constitutes a floating shim not positively connected to anything. The notches 53 extending downward into the upper .portion of each plate 5@ are for the purpose of receiving the projections 44 when the plate 36 moves downward. They are located in alinement with similar notches 54 extending into each plate 35 from its inner edge, which serve the same purpose when these plates are in their clamping position.

In Figure l5 I have illustrated a modication whereby the blade-clamping mechanism last vdescribed can be employed in connection with a head so constructed that the blade is supported on the ends of the guard teeth, as explained in connection with Figures 1 to 6 inclusive. In this modification, the head 55 may have the same contour as the head 2 previously described, except that it is provided with brackets 56 extending endwise from the central portion of the head and thence upward into the position occupied by the lugs 42 in Figures 8 and 9, to which they correspond in shape and function. The blade-clamping parts, with the exception of the oating shims, are or may be constructed as eX- plained in connection with Figures 8 to 14 inclusive, and need not be further described. To take the place of the shims, the head 55 may be provided adjacent to its central opening with upwardly-extending lugs 51, the upper ends of which are located in position to engage and support the inner edges of the plates 35.

It will be evident that although two bladeclamping plates are included in each of the blade holders above described, which are intended for use with blades having two cutting edges, the plates of each pair operate independently of each other and either of them might be omitted without aifecting the operation of the other, so that the essential blade-clamping parts are equally applicable to blade holders for use with blades having one cutting edge only. When designed for use with existing blades having internal apertures, the clamps must obviously be so shaped and proportioned as to be capable of passing through such apertures, and it is desirable in any case to give them the form of fiat plates of substantial length in order to distribute the clamping pressure evenly along the edge portions of the blades, but they may be widely Varied in form and arrangement so long as they are adapted Vto be passed through suitable apertures in the blades used with them and then operated to clamp and unclamp the blades while still retaining them in the holder.

I claim:-

l. A safety razor comprising a handle, a transversely-extending head centrally secured thereto and provided With a guard on each of its longitudinal edges, a pair of blade clamps pivotally mounted at their inner edges between the guards and adapted to swing outward in opposite directions and inward until folded together, an internally-apertured double-edgedbladethroughwhich the clamps can pass when folded, a plate located between the clamps and movable lengthwise of the handle, said plate being provided with cams for spreading and folding the clamps and with projections located in position to engage the clamps when swung outward and force them downward upon the edge portions of the blade, and means for reciprocating the plate.

2. In a safety razor, a blade holder for flexible and normally flat double-edged blades comprising a head provided on each of its longitudinal edges with a series of laterally spaced guard teeth extending outward beyond the location of the corresponding blade edge and thence inward and upward to a position behind the blade edge and over the central portion of the head, the inner ends of the teeth being shaped to form collectively a support for the blade and fulcrum shoulders on which it can be iieXed.

3. In a safety razor, the combination of a flexible and normally flat blade having an internal aperture, and a blade holder comprising a head provided with a series of laterally spaced guard teeth extending outward beyond the blade edge and thence inward and upward to a position in which they serve collectively to support the blade behind its edge and over the central portion of the head, means for positioning the blade thereon, a blade clamp pivotally connected to the head and adapted to pass through the aperture in the blade when unclamped, and means for operating the clamp to secure the blade in shaving position and to engage the edges of the aperture in the blade when unclamped and hold it on the supporting teeth.

4. In a safety razor, the combination of a .Y

double-edged blade having an internal aperture midway between its edges, and a blade holder comprising a head provided on each of its longitudinal edges with a series of laterally spaced guard teeth extending outward beyond the corresponding blade edge and thence inward and upward to a position in which the teeth serve collectively to support the blade behind its edges and over the central portion of the head, means for positioning the blade thereon, a pair of blade clamps pivotally mounted at their inner edges between the two series of guard teeth and adapted to swing outward in opposite directions and inward until folded together in position to pass through the aperture in the blade, and means for operating the clamps to hold the blade on the guard teeth in position for shaving and to engage the edges of the aperture in the blade and retain it on its support when released from the clamping action.

5. In a safety razor, a blade holder comprising a handle, a transversely-extending head centrally secured thereto and provided with a guard on each of its longitudinal edges, a pair of blade clamps pivotally supported on the head at the ends of their inner edges and adapted to swing outward and inward in opposite directions, a plate located between the clamps and movable lengthwise of the handle, said plate being provided with means for spreading and folding the clamps and with projections located in position to engage the clamps when swung outward and force them downward, means for reciprocating the plate, and a pair of supports locatedrespectively beneath the inner edges of the clamps and serving as supplementary fulcrums therefor.

6. In a safety razor, a blade holder comprising a handle, a transversely-extending headI centrally secured thereto and provided with a guard on each of its longitudinal edges, a pair of blade clamps pivoted to the head at their inner edges and adapted to swing outward in opposite directions and inward until folded together, and clamp-operating means movable upward and downward between the pivoted edges of the clamps for swinging them toward and away from the respective guards.

7. A safety razor comprising a handle, a transversely-extending head centrally secured thereto and provided with guards on opposite edges, a pair of blade clamps pivoted to the head at their inner edges and adapted to swing outward in opposite directions and inward until folded together, an internally-apertured double-edged blade through which the clamps can pass when folded, and clamp-operating means movable upward and downward between the pivoted edges of the clamps for swinging them toward and away from the respective guards.

8. In a safety razor, a blade holder comprise ing a handle, a transversely-extending head centrally secured to one end of the handle and provided with a guard on each oi its longitudinal edges, a pair of blade clamps located above the head, and clamp-operating' means including a plate extending lengthwise of the head and movable upward and downward in its own plane between the clamps, said plate being provided with guides extending downward therefrom in the same plane on opposite sides of the handle and adjacent thereto, in position to serve as thumb or nger rests located beneath the head when a blade is clamped in the holder. 

